


Safe In Your Arms

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Comfort fic, F/M, bed sharing, scully has nightmares too, scully wearing mulder's clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 04:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15162665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Mulder is there for Scully after she wakes from a nightmare.





	Safe In Your Arms

Scully wakes up with a start, gasping. Her breath is going too fast and she tries to take a few steps back mentally. What was she dreaming about? What could have caused this? Her attempts at rationality are pushed aside by the lingering sensation of fear, of anxiety. She puts her hand against her heart as it beats furiously, trying to escape. Her top is damp, warm with her sweat. Scully touches her sweaty forehead, frees a strand of hair that’s clinging to it. She lies back down and closes her eyes. The minute she does, her breathing turns erratic. Dread closes its cold hands around her throat, squeezes and Scully’s eyes fly open. She sits up in bed; this is not going to work. Her top sticks to her skin and she shivers. She rummages through her bag, but she can’t sleep in her form fitting blouse. It’s all she’s got with her.

There’s a sliver of light coming from under the adjoining door which means that Mulder is still awake. Unless he’s fallen asleep with the lights on, the TV blaring. Once or twice Scully has entered his hotel room and found him sleeping on top of the covers still in jeans, his arms crossed protectively over his chest. She would never admit it, pretends it hasn’t happened ever, but she’s stroked his face, smoothed his hair when he’s been like this. Fallen asleep in the middle of a thought, an action. Her Mulder. 

As always, she knocks. She is still shivering as she waits for any sign of him on the other side of the wall. Scully reaches for the doorknob the exact moment Mulder opens the door.

“Scully?” Both his face and his voice are full of concern. He takes in her appearance; clingy, sweaty top and shorts. It’s not as bad as that time she came to him wearing nothing but her underwear. But it’s close. “Is everything okay?” His hand hovers between them as though afraid to touch her anywhere. 

“I had a, I think I had a nightmare.”

“Come on in.” His hand lands on her naked shoulder and she shivers from the gentle warmth. “Must have been some nightmare.” He mumbles as he ushers her inside. He leaves his hand on her sweaty skin, leans his head down so he can look at her closely. 

“Do you have anything I can wear for the rest of the night? I’d rather not sleep in this,” Scully points down and Mulder’s eyes follow her, linger between her breasts for a short moment, before he meets her eyes again.

“You can wear this.” Mulder doesn’t even wait for her to complain and takes off his shirt. He hands it to her, a sheepish smile on his face. When she takes it from him, he turns around and waits. Scully is distracted by the play of his back muscles. She’s seen it before, has touched it even. It looks strong and warm, like all of Mulder. And all Scully wants to do is reach out and touch his back, follow the contours of it. “Do you need any help?” Mulder asks, joking. He’s chuckling and it sounds nervous in her ears.

“No, sorry. I’m fine.” Quickly Scully slips out of her top and into Mulder’s t-shirt. She is surrounded by the remnants of his heat, the comforting scent of his body. Scully takes in a deep breath, smiles to herself. “You can turn around.” She says, tugging at the hem of the shirt. It’s longer than her shorts, almost reaches her knees.

“Better?” Mulder asks her, his voice quiet yet deep. Scully lifts her head to look at him. Her eyes get caught on his chest momentarily as a muscle twitches there. This time she can’t help herself. She reaches out and touches him. Her fingers are gentle as if afraid he might break. The sparse hair is so soft, feels so good under her fingertips. “Scully?” She feels her name against her hand. His heart beats rhythmically, not too fast and not too slow.

“I need to go back to sleep.” She says, uncertain whether she’s talking to him or herself. But her hand remains against his naked chest and neither of them moves.

“You can stay here if you want.” Mulder offers. “I know what it’s like, Scully. To have nightmares.” Between them, how many horrors have passed? Their eyes meet, connect. Samantha and Melissa, sisters lost. Abductions and cancer, visible and invisible monsters. How could they not be having nightmares, the two of them? 

“I’m fine,” Scully says and she can almost taste the disappointment that radiates off Mulder, “but if you really don’t mind… I don’t know what the nightmare was about and-" 

"Hey, you don’t have to explain it to me.” Mulder motions at the flickering light of the TV. “I’d be honored if you’d let me watch over you tonight.” Scully shivers again, but this time she’s not cold. “Do you want me to turn it off?”

“No. As long as it’s not one of your favorite movies.” Scully winks at him and Mulder puts his hand on his chest, pretends to be offended. 

“I found this channel about an hour ago. It’s only showing classic movies. It doesn’t get much tamer than this, Scully.” She crawls into his bed and waits for him. He glances at her and runs a hand through his hair.

“Get in here, Mulder." 

"You sure? I can sit in that chair and make sure that-" 

"Get in here.” Scully repeats and Mulder obeys. They’re not touching at all, not even facing each other. They’ve slept together in the same bed more than once. This time they’re not forced to; it’s voluntary, deliberate action. Yet neither knows how to navigate it, is scared to make the wrong move. Scully settles on her side, facing the window. She blinks a few times, her eyes heavy and burning. She closes them and tries to concentrate on the low murmurs from the TV, Mulder’s presence. It works. At least at first it does. The dread returns, crawls over her chest, attacks her lungs and Scully tears open her eyes, sits up in bed panting.

“Hey, hey, it’s all right.” Mulder says and touches her hand. “You’re cold. Come here.” He tugs at her and Scully goes willingly. She can’t stop herself, needs to feel him even closer. Mulder molds his body to hers until they’re touching head to toe. She should complain, should remind him that this is unprofessional. Nightmare or not. But she can’t. His body fits perfectly against hers and she relaxes. His arm comes around and she takes it, secures it around her like a safety belt.

“Try to sleep.” Mulder whispers into her neck. Whether he does it on purpose or not, but his lips graze the tiny, white scar that secured her life only months ago. He leaves a kiss there, tentatively. “I’m here. Nothing will happen to you as long as I’m here.” Scully wants to tell him that his words remind her of a song. Which one is it? Mulder would know it, would maybe even sing it to her. The corners of her mouth twitch and she finds herself smiling as her eyes drift close.

“I promise, Scully. I am here.” Are the last words she hears. Dread tries, but this time it has no chance. Mulder is there holding her, keeping her safe. Scully sleeps.


End file.
